Policy Linkage and the Youth Unemployment Question in Tanzania: A Micro-Analysis of an Entry Point Level

Abstract

This study examines policy linkage in addressing the challenge of youth unemployment in Tanzania. It was triggered by the frail  contribution of key sectors  in addressing the challenge of youth unemployment. While several studies on youth unemployment have  applied macro-analyses, they have hardly paid attention to multi-sector policy linkage, which is a preliminary and crucial aspect in  creating policy implementation paths. Consequently, little is known about the implications of the efficacy of this linkage on youth  unemployment. The study employed documentary analysis to examine policy linkage and its implications for youth unemployment in  Tanzania. The analysis involved a review of the policies of seven sectors that have the potential for generating employment opportunities  for the youth. In addition, 42 annual sectoral budgets for the period 2018/2019 to 2023/2024 were reviewed with a view of determining  their commitment to addressing youth unemployment. The study further examined the allocation and flow of funds to youth  empowerment organisations during the same period, and reviewed supplementary secondary sources. The findings show that there is a  limited policy linkage among sectors, which negatively affects initiatives aimed at addressing youth unemployment. Also, there are  significant variations in both policy and budgetary commitments across sectors to create youth employment opportunities. Discrepancies  among policies largely explain the failure of the examined sector policies to collectively and adequately address youth  unemployment. The implication of the findings is that policy linkage is a key variable to consider in ongoing efforts aimed at addressing  youth unemployment in Tanzania.